This invention is concerned with a take-out mechanism for a glassware forming machine comprising a tong carrier movable in an arcuate path in a vertical plane between a first position at which tongs supported by the carrier can grip an article of glassware and a second position at which the tongs can release the article on to a support, an arm on which the tong carrier is mounted, moving means operable to move the arm arcuately about a first horizontal axis to move the tong carrier along the arcuate path, the tong carrier being supported on the arm for turning movement about a second horizontal axis, and turning means operable to turn the carrier about the second horizontal axis during the arcuate movement so that the carrier remains in a constant vertical alignment.
In glassware forming machines, articles of glassware are blow moulded at a blow moulding station of the machine and then require to be removed from the moulds and positioned on a support, known as a deadplate, before being transferred to a conveyor for removal from the machine. In order to remove the articles of glassware from the moulds and position them on the deadplate, a glassware forming machine has a take-out mechanism which supports tongs or other gripping means which grip an article of glassware in the mould and release it on to the deadplate. Hence, tongs of the take-out mechanism are moved between a first position adjacent the moulds of the glassware forming machine and a second position above the deadplate thereof. The tongs are mounted on an arm which is swung about a horizontal axis through approximately 180.degree. to move the tongs between their first and their second position. Since the articles of glassware are moulded with their bases downwards and require to be stood on their bases on the deadplate, it is necessary for the tongs to remain in the same vertical alignment during the arcuate movement of the arm and, to achieve this, turning means is provided to maintain the tongs in the same vertical alignment during the movement of the arm. In known turning means, a gear is mounted with its central axis aligned with the axis about which the arm swings but the gear is held against turning movement. Known turning means also comprises a gear mounted for turning movement about a second horizontal axis on the arm, the tongs being carried by the gear, and interconnecting means inconnecting the two gears and operable to cause the second gear to turn as the arm swings. In one form of interconnecting means, a chain passes around both the gears and in another form an idler gear mounted on the arm meshes with both of the aforementioned gears. With both these interconnecting means, vibration is caused by backlash, in the first case between the chain and the gears and in the second case between the various gears, which causes vibration of the glassware as it is carried by the tongs with possible damage to the glassware. In the case of the chain, problems also arise due to stretching of the chain which has led to the use of a tensioning device bearing on the chain between the gears so that the weight and complexity of the arm is increased. In the case of the idler gear construction, the weight and complexity of the arm is also increased by the presence of the idler gear and the bearings therefor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a take-out mechanism for a glassware forming machine which has turning means which avoids the aforementioned backlash problem and enables the use of a less heavy and complex arm.